Topic: How deadly are wheel spacers and hub centric rings?

I'm trying to find some wheels for our odd 5x110 bolt pattern and 65.1mm center bore wheel hubs. What few options are available, will require wheel spacers (e.g. https://www.vividracing.com/trak-series … 47235.html)  and hub centric rings (e.g. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mln- … 4#overview).  To make up the difference I was going to convert from lug bolts to studs with this (e.g https://motorsporthardware.com/product/ … R5jWZ9NNw)

I can't imagine the aftermarket wheels will be that high quality either (Found some cheap Kansei Roku, Vors, and ESR which may fit)

It seems using spacers, hubcentric adapters, and lug bolt to stud conversion, is starting to make me think it could be dangerous to drive our crap car around the track.

Anyone have thoughts / experience using these kind of hacks, if there are better options, and how many more problems we can expect from such a setup?

Cheers!

Re: How deadly are wheel spacers and hub centric rings?

Plastic hub centric rings will definitely melt during a race.

We have a weird bolt pattern and hub diameter on our car and had to machine our spacers to have the correct hub center diameter. We basically cut out the old one on the lathe and pressed in new aluminium tube and then turned that down to the correct hub diameter for our wheels. It worked out fine.

BSOD Racing, 1987 Fiat X1/9

Re: How deadly are wheel spacers and hub centric rings?

Spacers, when sized within reason, are not a problem. They're used in professional racing all the time. Don't go adding 3 inches of spacer, but a smaller spacer to get a better wheel fitment is fine. Bolt to stud conversions are also fine as long as you're using quality hardware and not no name mystery metal studs. And I know bolt pattern adapters get used by teams in Lemons.

also agree that plastic centering rings aren't a great idea, but metal ones should be fine.

20+ Time Loser FutilityMotorsport
Abandoned E36 Build
2008 Saab 9-5Aero Wagon
Retired - 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby 2011-2015 "Lifetime Award for Lack of Achievement" IOE, 3X I got screwed, Organizer's Choice

Re: How deadly are wheel spacers and hub centric rings?

We have ran 1.5" spacers since day one. They are hub-centric, not sure why you wouldn't go that route. Ours are billet aluminum machined with the "lip" But we run a GM with 5x4.75" millions of wheel options.

"get up and get your grandma outta here"

Re: How deadly are wheel spacers and hub centric rings?

+1 on the plastic rings melting. Since it sounds like you found some wheels but maybe with just the wrong offset, it looks like you're just running extended studs and a sandwhich spacer, which is 100% fine. On our TA cars we have extended studs and will sometimes use spacers to adjust handling balance. Never been an issue with quality studs. The adapter spacers or spacers where it has two sets of studs and isn't just thru holes kinda scare me a bit, but I've also run those on track (wasn't my car/my choice) without issues.

Full Ass Racing
#455 Piñata Miata - 1990 Miata
#735 BMDollhÜr 7Turdy5i - 1990 735i

Re: How deadly are wheel spacers and hub centric rings?

Thanks all - great advice, exactly what I was looking for. Those plastic centerhubs looked like a problem.

I think the wheel adapter / spacer / hub bore adapter as one piece seems like the way to go to open up more options.

Does anyone have a recommendation on which are reputable, I found these which on the surface seem ok https://venumwheel.com/collections/5-lu … 8501531726

Re: How deadly are wheel spacers and hub centric rings?

If you go to an adapter like the one you linked that is (in my opinion) where it gets a bit sketchier. It'll probably be fine though. Also I'm assuming that you have lug nuts/bolts that are tapered which means the wheel is lug centric and the hub ring is to aid with installation. Hub centering rings usually have a solid 0.010-0.030" of play which just helps you line up the wheel and the lugs pull it into position. On my race cars I usually just skip the hub ring so I wouldn't let a hub ring be the show stopper for a plan.

Full Ass Racing
#455 Piñata Miata - 1990 Miata
#735 BMDollhÜr 7Turdy5i - 1990 735i

Re: How deadly are wheel spacers and hub centric rings?

We run something like this. https://www.amazon.com/OCPTY-Spacers-Hu … &psc=1
275/40/17's on 17x9.5" rims 88 Trans Am, no issues

"get up and get your grandma outta here"

Re: How deadly are wheel spacers and hub centric rings?

Passaable wrote:

I'm trying to find some wheels for our odd 5x110 bolt pattern and 65.1mm center bore wheel hubs. What few options are available... <snip>

It might be a stretch (no pun intended) but had you put some time into finding some curb-rashed 9-5 Aero wheels with an 8" width?
I have no idea whether any still exist at this point (and there were far more 7.5" width options), but -

http://saabworld.net/showthread.php?t=27292

shows "3-spoke Double Blade 18 x 8 (ET46) - part number 32025565"

<edit>

And take a look at this website:

https://www.wheel-size.com/pcd/5x110/

to look for crosses based on the bolt circle.

Dodge Darts with the 2.4 show an 8" wheel with a close-enough offset, Saturn Sky actually has a 9" option - and lots of Opels, naturally, but that's about it -

-Jeff

Re: How deadly are wheel spacers and hub centric rings?

There’s lots of cars that run the 5x100, I would use OfferUp or Facebook marketplace and save a search for 5x100.

You could also go down this route:
EOTH 5X110 to 5x114.3 Wheel Adapters, 1 inch 5x110 to 5x4.5 Adapter 65.1mm CB with 12x1.5 Studs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089715MTT/re … &psc=1

Add some cheap oem mustang wheels and you’re on your way.